Antarctica by the numbers

As we near the end of our month-long Antarctic adventure, it’s hard to find words to describe our experiences (we took A LOT of photos –  maybe they will convey it better once we have proper internet again and can share them). In the meantime, on one our last full day on the Spirit of Sydney, we leave you with some numbers.

Antarctica by the numbers:

1 famous racing yacht
9 brave souls sharing
30 m2 living space (and one 1 m2 bathroom) for
30 days straight*
2 crossings of “The Drake”
14.6 knots max boat speed
56 knots max wind speed
16 watch shifts (3hr on, 6hrs off) per person during the crossings
4 people fed the fish mama-bird style
16 days kayaking in Antarctica
2 days kayaking in Tiera del Fuego 
171 nautical miles kayaked  (197 statute miles, 315 km)
90 hours kayaking
4 penguin species (gentoo, chinstrap, Adeline, Magellanic)
3 whale species (humpback, minke, pygmy minke)
5 seal species (fur, crab-eater, leopard, elephant, weddell)
3 near boat/whale collisions (2 by kayak, 1 by yacht – the whales were violating the proximity rules, not us!)
5 international Antarctic bases visited (Chile, Argentina, UK, Ukraine, USA)
*2 nights camping on shore
5 “small world” encounters (3 guides from BC, 2 friends from California)
2 southern rolls
3 inelegant dismounts (2 from kayaks, 1 from a bunk)
1 involuntary tow
3 bottles of Ukrainian vodka followed by
1 Ukrainian sauna + penguin plunges (refreshing!)
9 postcards mailed from Antarctica (expect them to arrive in several months!)
65°20′ southernmost point of the trip
1 officially scheduled inventory check
60 bars of chocolate
210 eggs
4 batches of banana pancakes
1 hole in the floor (reopened at least 4 times despite every effort to fix it)
1 new fur seal friend for Justine
And countless memories, of course!

Allison, Kim, Vivian, Lyle, Regina, Justine, JF, Calypso, Adrien